PURPOSE: To determine rates of glaucoma medication utilization among glaucoma suspects in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and identify recent utilization patterns for various hypotensive drug classes. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: By using MCBS data between 1992 and 2002 merged with Medicare claims data, utilization rates for glaucoma medication classes were calculated for survey participants >/=65 years with suspected glaucoma. Utilization trends over the 11-year period were identified. RESULTS: Each year, more than 85% of glaucoma suspects used no hypotensive medications. Between 1992 and 2002, utilization rates decreased substantially for beta-blockers and miotics and increased for alpha-agonists, combination beta-blockers-carbonic-anhydrase inhibitors, and prostaglandin analogues. CONCLUSION: This study identifies recent changes in patterns of glaucoma suspects' use of hypotensive medications by using patient-reported information, thus avoiding reliance on third-party databases. Such trends over time are important to recognize, because they reflect variations in patient care and have economic and clinical implications.
PURPOSE: To determine rates of glaucoma medication utilization among glaucoma suspects in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and identify recent utilization patterns for various hypotensive drug classes. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: By using MCBS data between 1992 and 2002 merged with Medicare claims data, utilization rates for glaucoma medication classes were calculated for survey participants >/=65 years with suspected glaucoma. Utilization trends over the 11-year period were identified. RESULTS: Each year, more than 85% of glaucoma suspects used no hypotensive medications. Between 1992 and 2002, utilization rates decreased substantially for beta-blockers and miotics and increased for alpha-agonists, combination beta-blockers-carbonic-anhydrase inhibitors, and prostaglandin analogues. CONCLUSION: This study identifies recent changes in patterns of glaucoma suspects' use of hypotensive medications by using patient-reported information, thus avoiding reliance on third-party databases. Such trends over time are important to recognize, because they reflect variations in patient care and have economic and clinical implications.
Authors: H M Leibowitz; D E Krueger; L R Maunder; R C Milton; M M Kini; H A Kahn; R J Nickerson; J Pool; T L Colton; J P Ganley; J I Loewenstein; T R Dawber Journal: Surv Ophthalmol Date: 1980 May-Jun Impact factor: 6.048
Authors: Michael A Kass; Dale K Heuer; Eve J Higginbotham; Chris A Johnson; John L Keltner; J Philip Miller; Richard K Parrish; M Roy Wilson; Mae O Gordon Journal: Arch Ophthalmol Date: 2002-06
Authors: Joshua J Spooner; Michael F Bullano; Laurence I Ikeda; Tara R Cockerham; William J Waugh; Thomas Johnson; Essy Mozaffari Journal: Am J Manag Care Date: 2002-08 Impact factor: 2.229